March 2018

A paedophile banned from contacting children sent an 11-year-old girl 1,000 messages and even took her shopping and to a party.

Daniel Powell has three convictions for downloading indecent images of children.

But despite the 29-year-old being handed a court order in 2013 banning him from having unsupervised contact with anyone under 16, he met the young girl and spent time with her.

Bristol Crown Court heard he took her shopping to Cribbs Causeway and he even took her to a Christmas lunch.

And it was found he had messaged the girl 1,000 times – one message sent from his phone told her “I love you”.

Powell, of no fixed abode, but most recently Weston Super Mare pleaded guilty to two breaches of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order by having unsupervised contact with and messaging the child.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching a sex offender registration requirement by not notifying the police of his address.

The Recorder of Bristol His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC jailed him for nine months. He told Powell: “There is no evidence of sexual offences against children.

“But they are blatant breaches of court orders.”

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, said police acting on information established Powell had contact with the child and had messaged her some 1,000 times.

An investigation established he had taken her shopping and even to a Christmas lunch, the court heard.

Powell told police he had only been alone with the girl briefly.

Mr Treharne said: “He did admit picking her up from school and taking her to Cribbs Causeway, shopping.

“He denied texting ‘I love you’.”

Update: Now living in Weston-Super-Mare

October 2014

Gloucester paedophile jailed after police discover child abuse images for the third time

Paedophile, Daniel Powell, who filmed up the skirt of a young girl while he worked in a Cheltenham shop, is back behind bars after more indecent images of children were found on his phone.

The 26-year-old was jailed for three years after he pleaded guilty to making the pictures as well as breaching his Sexual Offenders Prevention Order.

Gloucester Crown Court heard “devious and manipulative” Powell tried to delete some of the photographs of the young girls and hid computer devices from police.

Powell of Southgate Street in Gloucester was given a suspended sentence and the order in August 2013 after he took a video of the six-year-old girl while working in PC World.

Under the order he was not allowed to delete the history of his Samsung phone and had to allow police to search it and computers.

But prosecutor Janine Wood said officers discovered more than 150 images on a phone of girls aged between two and 15, which he had accessed 26 times between April 2013 and February 2014. She said a further 3,259 images had been deleted contrary to the order.

She said officers later discovered another phone hidden under his pillow and an external computer hard drive at the bottom of a laundry basket.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent images of children and a further three charges of breaching the SOPO.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC said Powell had a history that was “deeply troubling” and “never really stopped” accessing the pictures, even when awaiting sentence for his Cheltenham store offence.

The court heard his latest was his third offence of its type as he was jailed in 2009 for two years for taking photographs of a 14-year-old girl and posting them on the internet.

Defending Sarah Jenkins said Powell seemed to be more open to help this time and had cooperated well with the probation service and psychologists.

She said: “He accepts he needs to find other interests and hopes that will fill his time with them on release.”

Judge Tabor told Powell that if he had another conviction for a similar offence, he would risk being deemed a danger to the public and as such could face a life sentence.

The judge said he had hoped his last sentence, which included a Thames Valley Sex Offenders Programme, would make Powell see the “error of his way” and stop him “behaving in this disgusting manner”.

“But you were at it again,” the judge told him.

“You were acting in a devious and manipulative manner.

“Frankly it seems to me you have learnt nothing.”

As well as jailing Powell for three years, the judge ordered he pay a £120 victim surcharge and said he would remain on the Sex Offenders Register.

July 2014

PC World paedophile flouted sexual offences prevention order

PAEDOPHILE Daniel Powell, who took an up-the-skirt photo of a six-year-old girl, is back behind bars.

The 33-year-old has appeared in court and admitted flouting his sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) and making indecent photographs of children.

Powell was sparred jail in August 2013 after he took a picture of the young girl at his then workplace in PC World in Cheltenham.

Instead he was ordered to go on an intensive rehabilitation programme.

But he failed to take advantage of the chance and was back in court after being found with more child porn images.

Powell of Southgate Street in Gloucester pleaded guilty to four counts of making indecent photographs of children between April 2013 and February this year.

The court heard he also admitted a further three counts of breaching his SOPO by deleting the internet history on his mobile phone, which should have been available for police to inspect.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC said he was a “very worrying young man”.

He said: “He is a very troubling man. He was going around taking pictures of young girl’s skirts.

“He seems to have no idea he has behaved quite so badly.”

Powell’s offences began in 2009 when he was given a two-year prison sentence for making and distributing explicit images of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend online without her knowledge or consent.

But just months after his release, Powell was back online looking at illegal pictures.

Between February 2011 and September 2012, Powell pleaded guilty to 10 charges of possessing or making hundreds of images of children and extreme pornography as well as taking the picture of the girl at his PC World workplace.

He was caught for those offences when he tried to access a compromised website and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children tipped officers off.

The court heard clearly his prison sentence had not deterred him and instead he was given a suspended jail term, a two-year supervision order, 10 years on the Sex Offender Register and the rehabilitation programme.

Powell was remanded in custody at HMP Hewell until sentencing on Monday, August 11.

July 2014

Gloucester man who took pictures up the skirt of a child charged with breaching his sexual offences prevention order

A PAEDOPHILE, who took an ‘up-the-skirt’ video while he worked in a Cheltenham shop, is alleged to have breached his sexual offences prevention order.

Daniel Powell of Southgate Street in Gloucester stands accused of also breaching a suspended sentence.

The 33-year-old will enter pleas over the allegations at Gloucester Crown Court on July 18.

He remains in custody at HMP Hewell in the meantime.

Last August Powell avoided an immediate prison sentence despite admitting to taking the picture of a six-year-old at PC World, where he worked.

He was given two eight-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, and ordered to take part in an intensive rehabilitation and sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, in 2013.

He pleaded guilty to 10 charges of possessing or making hundreds of images of children and extreme pornography between February 2011 and September 2012.

The offences were committed just months after he had served a two-year prison sentence for making and distributing explicit images of his ex-girlfriend online without her knowledge or consent

April 2014

Gloucester man, who took an up-the-skirt picture of 6-year-old girl in Cheltenham shop, could still be a risk to children

A 33-YEAR-OLD who took an ‘up-the-skirt’ picture of a six-year-old in a Cheltenham shop could still be a risk to children, a court heard.

Sex offender Daniel Powell avoided an immediate prison sentence last August after he took the picture at his PC World workplace.

But Gloucester Crown Court heard he had failed to comply with a rehabilitation course, intended to help him since he was sentenced.

Powell of Southgate Street in Gloucester was said to have been “constantly lying” to probation workers.

He was given two eight-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, and ordered to take part in an intensive rehabilitation and sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, in 2013.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC told him on Monday: “The probation service will not withdraw resources but workers are concerned with your constant lying and ongoing risk to children.

“You are in a lot of trouble and I don’t understand why probation are being so generous to you.

“You are not fulfilling any of your obligations.

“We will meet in a month and if it is not any better you will go straight to prison.”

Powell was ordered to appear back before the court on May 27.

He pleaded guilty to 10 charges of possessing or making hundreds of images of children and extreme pornography between February 2011 and September 2012 – the vast majority of which were the lowest level one severity.

He admitted taking a photo up the skirt of a little girl at the computer store.

The offences were committed just months after he had served a two-year prison sentence in 2009 for making and distributing explicit images of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend online without her knowledge or consent.

He was caught when he tried to access a compromised website and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children tipped officers off.

On sentencing the judge had told him: “Any man who has a sexual interest in little girls has a problem. It’s a fear for those you are interested in – little girls who can’t look after themselves. You have got a big problem here and you have got to sort it out.”

August 2013

Suspended jail sentence for man who took ‘up-the-skirt’ image of child

SEX offender Daniel Powell has avoided jail after taking an ‘up-the-skirt’ photo of a six-year-old – because his last prison sentence failed to reform him.

Daniel Powell, 33, of Southgate Street, Gloucester, was handed two eight-month prison sentences, suspended for two years, at Gloucester Crown Court yesterday.

He will be put through an intensive rehabilitation programme after Judge Jamie Tabor QC agreed a spell behind bars might even make his offending worse.

Powell pleaded guilty to 10 charges of possessing or making hundreds of images of children and extreme pornography – the vast majority of which were the lowest level one severity.

He admitted taking a photo up the skirt of a little girl at his then workplace, PC World in Cheltenham.

The offences were committed between February 2011 and September 2012 – some just months after he had served a two-year prison sentence in 2009 for making and distributing explicit images of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend online without her knowledge or consent.

Powell was caught for his latest offences, the court heard, when he tried to access a compromised website and the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children tipped officers off.

Frazer Stuart, in mitigation, told the judge his client’s past prison sentence “doesn’t appear to have worked” and added that Powell himself requested, should he have been jailed again, that the sentence be long enough to ensure he got proper long-term help.

Sentencing Powell to the suspended jail term, a two-year supervision order, 10 years on the Sex Offender Register and the rehabilitation programme, Judge Tabor said: “You came before this court just before Christmas in 2009 and you were convicted of a number of very serious offences of taking indecent photos, possessing and distributing them.

“Any man who has a sexual interest in little girls has a problem.

“It’s a fear for those you are interested in – little girls who can’t look after themselves.

“You have got a big problem here and you have got to sort it out.”

July 2013

DANIEL POWELL, who admitted making ‘up- the-skirt’ videos of children on his mobile phone, will face a psychological evaluation before he is sentenced next month.

At Gloucester Crown Court, the 33-year-old, of Southgate Street, Gloucester, admitted 10 charges of possessing or making child and extreme pornography between February 2011 and September 2012.

The children, some as young as six, were unaware they were being recorded.

Some of the images were taken on his mobile phone in PC World in Cheltenham, where he worked at the time, the court heard.

Police were alerted to Powell’s actions after he tried to access a compromised website. A warrant was then issued for his arrest.

Powell, who sobbed in court when the charges were read out, was arrested when he was found in possession of the illicit material, some involving animals. Police also found him in possession of 105 level five indecent images – the most serious rating for pornography.

In court, it was revealed one distinct image clearly showed a six-year-old child.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC warned Powell to expect a long custodial sentence and further mental rehabilitation.

“It is very rare to see someone of your age before the court for this type of offence,” he said.

“I want more time to know what is motivating you to act in this extraordinary manner.

“You know what the outcome will be.”

The maximum sentence for making indecent images of this nature is 10 years in prison.

Powell, who has already visited a psychiatric nurse and signed the sex offenders’ register, will face further mental evaluation this week.

The case has been adjourned until Monday, August 19

July 2013

Man made indecent pictures of children

A man has admitted making indecent images of children. Daniel Powell, 33, of Southgate Street, Gloucester admitted ten charges when he appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday

He pleaded guilty to seven counts of making indecent images between February 2011 and September 2012, one count of taking indecent photographs of children and possession of more than 100 indecent photographs of a child. Powell is due in court on July 29 for sentencing

December 2009

Cheltenham child pornographer jailed

A Cheltenham man who took indecent photographs of a 14-year-old girl and posted them on the internet has been jailed for two years.

The girl, now 17, has been ‘greatly distressed’ to discover the images can been seen worldwide on the internet, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

Daniel Powell, of Elm Street, Swindon Village, admitted making indecent photos and videos of the girl between 2003 and 2006. He also admitted having other indecent images of children on his computers.

Sentencing Powell at Gloucester Crown Court to two years in prison, Judge Martin Picton said his actions had been a gross breach of the girl’s trust.

Crown prosecutor, Brendon Moorhouse, said police arrested Powell at his home in September 2008 for making and distributing images of children.

He said: “Computers were seized and 145 images were found on them. He had started a relationship with a girl of 13 some years before and during the course of it he took various photographs of her.

“The relationship became sexual when she was about 14 and he also took videos of her. His mobile phone was also found to contain indecent images.”

Mr Moorhouse said he took more indecent images of the girl when she was 17 with her consent – but she did not consent to them being distributed on the internet.

He said: “Having found these images on Mr Powell’s computers, police checked websites and found 29 of the photos had been distributed.

“It is very distressing for the young woman concerned, knowing these images are now available worldwide.”

David Webster, defending, said the images distributed on the web contained low-level indecency.

He said: “If he had distributed more intimate images they would have been found by the police investigation.

“There is no evidence this man is ever likely to carry out this sort of activity again and his victim has been able to move on and put these matters behind her.”

Judge Picton said that even in the low-level images no one could imagine she was anything but under-age and it had been a gross abuse of her trust in him.

He said: “You took photographs of a young woman and then posted them on a website in her name.

“You shared these images around and even sent them to a site used by paedophiles, so this young woman now knows her image is out there forever, in the hands of all kinds of gross and undesirable people. It was a terrible thing to do.”